


Ghosts of the past (ghosts of the present)

by coffeehound21



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-25 19:17:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20030980
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coffeehound21/pseuds/coffeehound21
Summary: Hermione, Draco and the long road to reconciliation.





	Ghosts of the past (ghosts of the present)

"Granger?"

Hermione is taken aback when she hears that voice. She hasn't heard that snide, cold voice in years. She turns around slowly, trying to maintain her balance because she _is_ feeling tipsy at that point. Ron and Harry have gone to fetch more drinks, and Ginny is chatting with her Holyhead Harpy mates. The lights in the Tripsy Unicorn are psychedelic and pulsing, and she squints to get a better view of him.

"Malfoy."

For the first time in as long as she can remember, Draco Malfoy looks uncomfortable and unsure of himself. He shoves his hands in his coat pockets, and his voice is slightly unsteady when he speaks.

"D'you - do you have a minute? Can we talk?"

"What?!" The words are out of her mouth before she realises.

"Can we talk? It won't take long."

She's frozen for a few seconds before she comes out of her daze. She finally shrugs, and gestures towards the empty balcony on the far side of the room.

* * *

They stand in the balcony, in the cold London air for sometime before Draco finally says anything.

"I wanted to apologise, Granger. For the way I treated you when we were in school. I was - I was truly horrid towards you. I truly wish I hadn't been such a brat back then. I know it's not remotely enough-"

"What do you want from me?" Hermione's voice is curt. She can feel her anger rising, his words bringing back all those unpleasant memories. "Do you want me to say it's alright? That it doesn't matter now - now that we've won the war -"

"Of course not-"

"Do you _honestly _expect me to forgive you after all the shit you put me through?" The air seems to be rushing out of her lungs. Her voice is louder now, and she wonders briefly if the people inside can hear her. "Do you have any idea - any at all - what it's like being at the receiving end of that kind of hatred?"

Draco looks at a loss for words.

"Sneered at, the pathetic little Mudblood, not even worthy of shining you higher mortals shoes." Hermione feels all the rage and grief pouring out of her, of all those years she never said anything back. "So please - don't come apologising for your - your _behaviour_ \- when you didn't even afford me the courtesy of treating me like a human being."

With that, she storms off inside, not paying him any mind for the rest of the night; that is until an hour later, when she looks around the pub and sees he's not there anymore.

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first time writing in almost 5 years. I'm actually proud, because after weeks and months of procrastinating, I finally sat down and wrote this today. Uhh.. it hasn't been beta read (which is why it might be choppy). Speaking of which, looking for a beta reader (if anybody is interested!).


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